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When Ryan Harbaugh of Old Forge returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2011, the substance abuse problem that plagued him most of his adult life escalated.

Unable to cope with the stress of returning to civilian life, the 31-year-old Army veteran said he drowned his problems with alcohol.

He’s not alone. Between 2001 and 2014, the number of veterans diagnosed with substance abuse and/or mental health problems increased from 27 percent to 41 percent,according to a 2016 report on veteran suicide released by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Those issues often lead to trouble with the law. Statistics show that nationwide, 8 to 10 percent of offenders incarcerated in state and local prisons have served in the military, said Kim Sapolis-Lacey, a veteran’s justice outreach specialist with Veterans Affairs.

Lackawanna County’s Veterans Treatment Court is working to reduce those numbers.

Harbaugh entered the court in 2014 after he was charged with a second drunken driving offense. Now sober, he recently graduated from the program and is enrolled in college.

“It was the best thing I could have asked for,” Harbaugh said. “It kept me on track to be a better father, a better husband, a better person in general.”

The court is one of several special “problem solving” courts in Lackawanna County that help people overcome the substance abuse and/or mental health issues that landed them in the criminal justice system.

Lackawanna County was the first county in the state to establish a veterans treatment court in 2009. Since then, 18 more counties developed programs. Officials say the courts play an important role in diverting veterans into programs that provide them the help they need, keeping them out of prison.

“Many of the people who are in our treatment courts have served their country in a very difficult time. When they return they face challenges,” said President Judge Michael Barrasse, who spearheaded the creation of the court and continues to oversee it. “It gives us the best opportunity to return the veteran to become a productive member of society … as long as they do the work that is necessary to achieve recovery.”

The courts have a track record of success. In 2016, 274 veterans took part in programs statewide, according the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. Of those 199, or 73 percent, successfully completed the programs.

In Lackawanna County, 110 people have been served by the court since its inception. Of those, 32 are still receiving services and 54, or 69 percent,successfully completed the program.

Sapolis-Lacey credits the court’s success to its team approach.

The 18-month, four-phase program involves intensive supervision by a team of mental health and substance abuse professionals in conjunction with the county’s probation department and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Participants must seek treatment and counseling for the underlying issues that caused their arrest. They also work with a fellow veteran, who acts as mentor.

Harbaugh and Eugene Santore, 56, of South Abington Twp., were among seven participants who graduated from Lackawanna County’s veterans court on Nov. 2.

Santore entered the program after he was charged with a drug offense. A veteran of the Marine Corps., Santore said he developed a heroin addiction after getting hooked on pain pills he took for serious shoulder injuries he suffered in his longtime profession as truck driver.

“The pills are so expensive, you turn to heroin,” he said. “I swore on my life I’d never use that drug.”

Santore said the court’s team approach provided him the structure and discipline he needed to stay clean.

“It’s the best thing that could have happened to me,” Santore said. “The first year is the toughest. It’s pretty regimented. As long as you are not trying to pull something over on them just so you don’t go to jail, it’s a good program.”

Harbaugh said he abused alcohol since he was a teenager. His problem escalated when he returned from Afghanistan and struggled to deal with post traumatic stress disorder.

“No one goes there and comes back the same,” Harbaugh said. “You come home and get dropped off at your house. They expect you to assimilate back into normal life … You go back to your coping mechanism.”

Although they graduated from the treatment court, Harbaugh and Santore said they are continuing to attend self-help programs and access other services the court and Veterans Administration offer.

“Once you graduate, it’s not over. It’s just the beginning,” Harbaugh said.

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